The Edge of Reason

The Opening Act

Our heroes have been hired to track down a traitor for a crime family. Inside the Sidrat building, a front for Black Sun, they find a terminal with the data they require. Looking between themselves, they realize they don’t have an accomplished slicer on hand. Making do with the knowledge they have, they grab the data and trip an alarm. It’s time to run and just get out with the information they need. Leaving the tower behind, they hop into their borrowed speeder and take off with pursuit hot behind them.

Grabow: X! Slow the speeder down a bit! I’m gonna board them!

Matwe, Sinoca: You’re gonna what?!

X – Droid pilot: Are you sure that’s a wise decision, sir?

Grabow: Just do it!

X – Droid Pilot: As you wish sir…

Sinoca: Are you kidding me?! Don’t slow down for him!

As the blaster fire intensifies, a random shot meant for Matwe hits X accelerating and bouncing the speeder uncontrollably. Sinoca pushes X out of the way and climbs into the driver seat bringing the speeder under control. Grabbing X, Grabow screams at Sinoca.

Grabow: Slow it down!

Matwe: NO! Speed up!

Grabow: Slow it down so I can board them!

Matwe, Sinoca: You’re insane! No!

Grabow throws X out behind the speeder at their pursuers and miraculously hits one of their pursuers who shies away from the droid, blasting the controls to his own speeder by accident. As they struggle to regain control of their speeder, Sinoca crashes his speeder into the ground at a nearby market. Climbing out of the ruined speeder, our heroes scatter and make their ways into the crowd hiding themselves from their Black Sun pursuers. After a few minutes of hiding and sinoca stealing from vendors, they get a coded signal telling them to gather for pickup. Meeting up with a Bothan, the group gets out of the marketplace and hitches a ride to a safehouse.

Arriving at Chopper’s place, the group hand over the datapad of information they sliced from the Sidrat Tower. After satisfying Chopper’s curiosity about the raid, he informs them of their next job for the Pyke Family.

Chopper: So there’s another job for you. The Pyke family lost a shipment of spice. It was supposed to be delivered, but it looks like the deliveryman decided he’d rather try to sell it off himself and cut out the Pykes. The raid was for the identity of the thief. So… Interested?

Sinoca: What’s the payout?

Chopper: A thousand credits each.

Grabow: Two thousand each.

Chopper: Ha! Nice try. One thousand. But I can give you guys a bit of an advance if you need it.

Grabow: Well then, give us a speeder.

Chopper: I’m sure I can find a speeder to lend you.

Grabow: No no no. GIVE us a speeder.

Matwe: Oh, stop being stupid. We’d have no money if it weren’t for Chopper. We’ll take you up on the speeder loan.

Chopper: Good. Don’t crash this one or I’m going to take it out of your cut.

Sinoca: Who are we looking for?

Chopper: A Nikto by the name of Kaa’to Leeachos. He’s some bounty hunter who bought himself out of slavery out on the rim. Still works for some of the Hutts from what I understand. At any rate, he was supposed to deliver a shipment of spice, but bailed and is selling to someone else. I heard a Nikto was seen at the The Umbra Club recently. Seedy kind of club.

Matwe: Anywhere else we should look?

Chopper: Not that I can think of, off hand. But it’s a start at least.

Matwe: Guess we’ll borrow that speeder and start at The Umbra Club.

Chopper: Remember, don’t crash it…

At The Umbra Club

Entering the club, the smell of deathsticks and spice immediately fill their nostrils. It’s not exactly what you’d call a clean place, but by Coruscant low level standards, it’s near spotless. Sinoca heads over to the bartender while Matwe and Grabow look around for someone who can give them the information they need.

Sinoca: I’ll take a lomin-ale, on the rocks.

Omacala: coming right up.

While Sinoca gets his drink, Matwe and Grabow find the person they’re looking for. Speng is a local deathstick dealer who keeps his eyes and ears open on the murmurs and rumours. In the middle of a deal, Grabow goes over and interrupts. His buyer, a malnourished looking human female, scurries away.

Matwe: Sorry about that, Speng. I need some information and Grabow can’t wait for it.

Speng: That was a hundred credits he just scared off!!

Matwe: I’ll make it up to you.

Speng: Really? You’ll buy the deathsticks?

Matwe: That depends… How much was she buying?

Speng: A hundred credits. It’s not much, but I’ll take what I can get.

Matwe: I’m not that liquid right now, but I’ll get you that hundred if you can tell me where to find a certain Nikto named Kaa’to Leeachos.

Speng: You know I’m not particularly fond of credit, right?

Matwe: Come on, Speng. You know I’m good for it.

Speng: Well… I guess we’ll just see since it won’t really cost me anything to tell you what I do know. I still expect that hundred from my lost business.

Matwe: Yeah yeah, just tell me what you know.

Speng: Well I heard there was a Nikto poking around the Spyder. Not sure if it’s your guy or not, but at least it’ll be a start. What’s your interest in Kaa’to?

Matwe: He’s got something that belongs to the Pyke family. They want it back.

Speng: Yikes. Better put in a good word for me if this pans out.

Matwe: We’ll see. Thanks for the tip, Speng. I’ll get you that hundred in the next couple of days.

Speng: Assuming your alive…

Grabow: Alive?

Speng: Well rumour has it, he hunted for the Hutts as a slave and won his freedom that way. You’ve gotta be a pretty tough customer to hunt your way out of slavery…

Matwe: Good to know. Thanks again, Speng.

The Spyder

The Spyder is yet another lower level place. The owner, Korsin Fenn, runs a quiet, out of the way casino that caters to the underworld patrons who want to be left alone to gamble and play cards. A droid bartender tends to the bar while chance machines are scattered around the upper level, along with low bet Sabacc tables. The lower area features some bigger tables as well as a centerpiece main table. Multiple players sit at the main table. A Falleen and three other humans sit at the table. Yet a few more sit near the table, watching the action.

Matwe: I’m gonna let you guys do your thing. I’ll be at a chance machine keeping an eye on things and you guys.

Grabow: Fine by me.

Sinoca: Guess I’ll head down there and see what’s up.

Everyone heads in a different direction. Matwe heads to a chance machine like he says, Grabow heads to a low bet table and Sinoca heads straight to the main table. Matwe plays a few rounds and makes a minimal amount of money, while Grabow loses a small amount of money. Sinoca, on the other hand, takes several hands in a row against the Falleen, the best player at the table. He fails to win the Sabacc pot, however, and decides to take his earnings and run. The Falleen glares at Sinoca as he leaves the table.

Climbing up to the upper level, Sinoca watches the lower table as they continue to play. Grabow, in the meantime, continues to lose money at the low bet table and is clearly getting more and more frustrated. Korsin comes and stands beside Sinoca. The Bothan has a funny look on his face.

Korsin: I’ll give you this. You’ve got more balls than sense.

Sinoca: Oh? What gives you that impression?

Korsin: Well you just walked into a game full of Black Sun members, stole their money and then walked away without really giving them a chance to win it back.

Sinoca: Oh…. Well… Maybe they should hold onto their credits a little better?

Korsin: Hahaha, maybe you’re right.

Sinoca: Hey, maybe you can help me find someone.

Korsin: That depends on who you’re looking for.

Sinoca: I’m looking for a Nitko named Kaa’to Leeachos. I heard a Nikto was recently seen here, so I thought I’d check it out. He’s a buddy of mine and I haven’t heard from him in a while.

Korsin: Yeah, I know him… He owes me money. You gonna cover it?

Sinoca: Uh not really. I probably don’t have the kind of cash you need to cover his debt. But maybe you can tell me where he is and I can give you what I have as a down payment.

Korsin: How much you got?

Sinoca: I can give you 500 credits. How much does he owe you?

Korsin: 2500.

Sinoca: 500 right now. Knowing Kaa’to, you’re not likely to get that cash back. At least you’ll have something, right?

Korsin: Kaa’to did say he had a job lined up that would cover it.

Sinoca: Again, 500 for sure.

Korsin: Alright… 500 credits.

Sinoca reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small bag of credits and hands it over to Korsin.

Korsin: Heard he was doing a deal with Black Sun. You might want to talk to that table again. Maybe let them have some of they’re money back.

Sinoca: Thanks for the tip.

At that exact moment, Grabow had decided he’d had enough. With a roar of wookiee rage, Grabow slams the table and tries to lift it up. The table, however, is bolted down, so Grabow settles for taking his chair and throwing it into the Black Sun table. Blasters get drawn and a firefight ensues. Grabow takes this opportunity to release the rage that got pent up during his losses at the sabacc table.

Korsin: What the…

Seeing Korsin distracted, Sinoca jumps on the opportunity to forcibly question him. Pulling his blaster, Sinoca grabs Korsin and turns him around. Always prepped for treachery, Korsin slaps Sinoca’s blaster away. As they wrestle, Grabow starts taking fire from the Black Sun table. Patrons scatter as the blaster fire intensifies. Various chance machines are hit and coins roll across the floor. The Falleen, seeing everyone distracted, runs, grabs the unguarded sabacc pot and runs out the back. Matwe sees him leave and chases after him.

Sinoca: Where is he?!

Korsin: What the hell are you talking about?!

Sinoca: Where’s Kaa’to?! Where is he?!

Korsin: How the hell should I know?! He’s going to get the money he owes me!

Sinoca throws him over the railing and into the lower level.

Sinoca: Where is he?!

Korsin: You psycho!! I don’t know!!

Grabow: Sinoca! What the hell?! It’s time to go! We’ve worn out our welcome now!

Sinoca: I’ll take this back, now.

Grabbing his credits back, Sinoca starts running for the front door.

Sinoca: Where’s Matwe?

Grabow: Get out now, ask questions later!!

Out back, Matwe chases the Falleen into a crowded street and loses sight.

Matwe: Sithspit… Lost him…

Street Urchin: Who you looking for mister?

Matwe: Looking for a Falleen that came running out of here. Seen him?

Street Urchin: That depends.

Matwe: 25 credits.

Street Urchin: Was talking into a comlink. Something about sending more men to the Zelcomm Tower.

Matwe: Here you go. Get something to eat…

Pulling out his own comlink, Matwe informs his friends about the Zelcomm Tower.

Matwe: So how are we getting into the tower at this hour? It’s well after any normal office hours and since it’s a Black Sun tower, they probably have armed guards that’ll shoot first and ask questions later.

Sinoca: We’ll just pose as some cleaners and get them to open up the offices for us.

Grabow: That’s a brilliant plan. We’ll be cleaners from some random company and show up without cleaning supplies…

Sinoca: What? We’ll just tell them that we were told not to bring anything in and to just use their supplies. They can be paranoid enough to request we not bring anything in.

Matwe: This is so not gonna work…

Sinoca: It’ll work. Look, the loading dock is still open and a few people are finishing up it looks like. I’ll bet you they aren’t even armed and we can just show up there with that excuse.

Pulling up to the side of the loading dock, the group climbs out of the speeder.

Grabow: Who the hell’s ever seen a Wookiee cleaner?

Sinoca: Shut it. This’ll work. Hey guys!

Worker: What do you need? Building’s closed for the day.

Sinoca: Oh well. We got a call from our office to come here and clean up some mess.

Worker: Mess? What mess?

Sinoca: I don’t know. They’re always really vague about these instructions. Mat, you talked to the office. What’d they say?

Matwe: Umm… That we were supposed to come clean up some giant mess in whats-his-names office at the Zelcomm Tower.

Worker: You don’t even have any cleaning supplies

Matwe: Um…. We’re supposed to use the building’s supplies?

Worker: That’s just messed up. I don’t wanna know… Go to the desk at the front. I’m sure they’ll know which office…

Leaving the dock, Sinoca grins at the group.

Sinoca: See? Told you.

Grabow: Who the hell’s ever heard of a wookiee cleaner…?

Matwe: We’re not out of this yet. We still don’t know where to go or who we’re actually looking for. I mean, are we seriously just going to walk up to them and say, “We’re here to clean the Falleen’s room?”

Sinoca: Yes… Maybe… We’ll see what happens. Or better yet, we’ll just find our own way up the tower and hopefully just find the Falleen’s office or room.

20 minutes later…

Matwe: So far we’ve found a kitchen, a cafeteria, a private garage, a cleaning closet and the lobby which is filled with guards.

Sinoca: Shut it, Matwe. You’re just going to have to bluff the guard.

Matwe: Me?

Sinoca: Well no one believes anything I say and the odds are generally against people understanding Grabow… So yeah, you. And grab a cleaning cart from the closet.

Matwe: This is so not going to end well…

Entering the lobby, the guard at the desk is typing away on the terminal and doesn’t notice the group. Looking at each other, Sinoca motions for Matwe to talk to the guard on duty. Grabow points at the two guards posted outside the lobby. Shrugging, Sinoca pushes Matwe forward into the guard’s view.

Security Guard: Uh… Can I help you? The office is closed.

Matwe: Uh yeah, we were told to come clean up a mess in whats-his-name’s office.

Security Guard: Whats-his-name…

Matwe: Yeah, some name we’re not able to really pronounce and I left my datapad behind with the spelling.

Security Guard: I see… Well let me put in a call and get you sorted out.

Matwe: Thanks!

Grabbing his comlink, the security guard turns away from Matwe.

Security Guard: Need an escort for three people to D3D.

Smiling, Sinoca turns and gives a thumbs up to Grabow. Suddenly, the security guard ducks behind his desk and blaster fire erupts from the main entrance.

Matwe: I TOLDYOUTHIS WOULDN’T WORK!!!

Turning around, Matwe draws his two blasters and starts shooting back, while Grabow grabs the cleaning cart and charges the two guards.